We’re finally back on track at Southern Trout. The Oct/Nov issue is up. The bi-weekly newsletter is also back on schedule. I appreciate everyone’s patience during what has been a somewhat challenging time for us. The doctors are pleased with me my slow, but steady recovery from my accident at the Hiwassee River.

Things during the time were made even more screwy due to books written here since July. The first for Wilderness Adventure Press, Fly Fisherman’s Guide to Tennessee Waters, ended up as a 100,000 word volume that covers every stream in the state from the Wolf River in Shelby County to Doe Creek in Johnson County. Most of it was written in the abandoned salt mine located under my garage.

My work on the other book for Stackpole Books, Flies and Fly Patterns of the Great Smoky Mountains will be complete next week. It looks like it will come in at around 45,000 words. As stated here previously, if you are a tyer and have a pet pattern, please let me know about it. The book features every tyer who expressed an interest in the projects, including Walter Babb, Roger Lowe, Kevin Howell, Joel Dean, Eugene Shultz, and more. It covers about 150 patterns that are from or historically connected to the fly fishing in the GSMNP. The Yallarhammar portion of the book will stir things up for sure.

Southern Trout will at the Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Expo in Asheville, November 3-4. We’ll be giving programs on old fly patterns of the GSMNP. I’m hoping Greg Ward will join me there. Yesterday he was named the dean of the GSMNP Fly Fishing School at the Sugarlands which was formerly taught by Jim Casada. Congratulations Greg. I am sure he will pump a lot of life into that popular program next summer.

We’re moving forward now, back on track with the Southern Trout endorsement programs for guides, lodges, and fly shops, plus getting into the mapping business. We always delight in hearing from you, so don’t be a stranger.

Don, truly glad to get the most recent copy on your wondeful magazine. And I'm glad to hear that you are making progress with your health issues....Look forward to see you at Trout Fest in the spring........ Bob